I think patch cable could mean either or, but I am not totally sure.
A straight through cable would be wired the same on both ends. In other words, both ends would be wired as a T568A or both ends would be wired as a T568b.
On a crossover cable, one end would be wired as a T568A and the other end would be wired as a T568b.
The The data transmit and receive ports of the plug on a computer would be setup opposite of what they are on a modem or router. In this case you would need a straight through cable to allow data to flow freely.
All computers would have the transmit ports and the receive ports the same. You would need a crossover cable which crosses the wires to allow the data to flow freely.
I dont' know if I explained that clearly or very well. Like I said, this is just a hobby for me. if anyone can explain it better then by all means, please do.
